Help, Google Says I'm Gay

from the tales-from-the-playground dept

An English soccer player is suing a couple of the country's tabloids in an unusual libel case. The tabloids ran stories detailing the sexual activities of two well-known soccer players and a music-industry figure, never naming them, but running photos with their faces blurred out. Now one player, Ashley Cole, is suing the papers for "false privacy", alleging their stories sparked off third-party speculation that Cole was one of the players, and that he was gay. Where things get a little more interesting is that Cole's lawyer has contacted Google, wanting to know why when users search for "Ashley Cole", Google suggests "see results for "Ashley Cole gay". The lawyer wants to know if the alternate-results suggestion is an "editorial decision", or -- as seems more likely -- a result of the heavy increase in people searching for "Ashley Cole gay" over the last several days. It seems like it's only a matter of time before Google gets hit with a lawsuit for something like this, given that it's a big target and the increasing scrutiny under which how it guards the privacy of its users is coming. But like the Perfect 10 case, any blame here is misplaced, assuming that the alternate search terms are the result of some computer algorithm -- Google can't be held responsible for the things for which its users search.
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  • identicon
    Xanthir, 8 Mar 2006 @ 9:49am

    Just an algorithm blip

    I was actually just reading about this over on Language Log.

    Basically, google has a relatively new feature that will find related search term groups to what you asked for. If any group is heavily queried, it may display the results for it along with your actual query.

    So, lots of people were serching for "The Guy's Name" + gay, due to the tabloid articles. Thus, when you search for just "The Guy's Name", google helpfully also provides results with the +gay added to the query.

    The fact that this is being publicized will just enhance the effect, because there will be even more queries with gay in them.

    Streissand effect, anyone?

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    discojohnson, 8 Mar 2006 @ 10:55am

    libel? hah

    don't sue google for an algorithm. well, i didn't rtfa, but from the way carlo worded it, google is just being asked which it was. so back to libel, freedom of speech? where's that line? stop and desist order? damn you society and your sue-happy ways.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Lee, 8 Mar 2006 @ 11:08am

    No Subject Given

    But Ashley Cole *is* gay.

    Go Man United.

    Lee

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      Gay man, 8 Mar 2006 @ 11:16am

      Re: No Subject Given

      You know - I'm just waiting for the first gay person to sue a tabloid or whatnot for slander/libel/defamation of character when s/he is misrepresented as being heterosexual!

      link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Justin, 8 Mar 2006 @ 11:30am

    I hope they win (they they sue) !

    When I do a search on Justin Young, I'm either a gay dude (he does porn) or a Christian Singer (which if you think about it, is oddly the same as the first Justin Young I mentioned)

    Or should I just go after those Justin Young's??

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Buck, 8 Mar 2006 @ 11:43am

    Google thinks I am gay too!

    http://myfreepress.com/2006/02/03.html#a3775

    Google thinks I'm Gay

    Google has a new feature that can create "recommended stories", based on your search history.

    If you use the Google News feature, and you have (for example) a google email account, they will try and process your searches, and make recommedations based on what they think are your personal interests.

    Recently I have done a few searches about the Oscars. Just me looking up what different media around the world think of the nominations. As you might expect there are a lot that mention Brokeback Mountain, and Truman Capote...

    Innocent right?

    Well now Google thinks I am Gay... Almost all the "recommended stories" they show me have Gay in the headline.

    Mass. Town Denounces Attack at Gay Bar
    Maryland Gay-Marriage Ban Killed After Democratic Move
    Pink plaques for gay Brighton


    And so on...

    So here I am trying to convince Google that I am not gay. I am doing searches on Canadian Politics, something I am interested in, like Gomery Report, and Paul Martin. I am even throwing in a few searches for World Wide Wrestling, and NHL Hockey just to try and sway the results.

    It is not working. It looks like Google is going to be convinced I am Gay for awhile.

    Hey did you know Brokeback Mountain, the story of two gay cowboys, was filmed in politically ultra-conservative Province of Alberta, which incidentally is the home of the NHL Calgary Flames? Well, now I do.

    link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      admin, 8 Mar 2006 @ 12:45pm

      Re: Google thinks I am gay too!

      oh no.. now google will think you are a gay canadian hockey player!

      but on a serious note, one does have to wonder if
      Google could be sued for slander. Suppose there
      was an accusation of a young soccer player having
      a relationship with a younger girl - lets say 16.
      In fact, it was his niece and some paparazi
      snapped a few too many pics and the tabloids
      bought into it. Now a google search comes up to
      suggest "Joe Soccer pedaphile". I would think
      that would be slanderous no?

      link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Lee, 8 Mar 2006 @ 12:52pm

        Re: Google thinks I am gay too!

        Doesn't something need to be intentional to be considered "slanderous"?

        If what google is doing is generated solely by what people around the world are searching for, then it can't be intentionally slanderous. (Keep in mind I said "if").
        Theoretically its all random words being matched up.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 8 Mar 2006 @ 1:34pm

        Re: Google thinks I am gay too!

        No, that wouldn't be slanderous, since slander is making false or malicious spoken statements.

        It probably wouldn't be libelous, either.

        link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Phranq da tank, 8 Mar 2006 @ 11:53am

    google = teh rong

    google says i'm human.. psh idjuts

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    ashley, 11 Jun 2006 @ 2:05pm

    ashley is gay

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 3 Aug 2006 @ 11:26pm

    he is so gay

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Ryan Huckstep, 12 Oct 2006 @ 4:02pm

    Ashley Cole

    Ashley Cole is so overrated. I am a Man U fan but I must say well done to Arsenal for pulling off the Gallas/Cole switch. They even got 5 million on top. Well done. I have yet to see Ashley Cole play a decent game for England, Arsenal, or Chelsea. And I would be saying exactly the same if I was a Chelsea fan (perish the thought), of that I have no doubt.
    I say nothing of him as a man, but as a football player he is absolute crap.
    To make England decent again we must do three things, kick out Ashley Cole and Steve McClaren and bring back Becks! GO MAN UNITED!!!!!!!!!!

    link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    john hand cock, 9 Nov 2007 @ 9:34am

    homo

    YOUR A HOMO

    link to this | view in chronology ]


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